When was the last time that you laughed until your sides ached, until the tears ran down your cheeks? Do you dare to lose control and let joy carry you?

If we allow joy to take over, we can find it in every second of the day. It can be in the simple, ordinary things or it can be because of an extraordinary ecstatic experience. The ecstasy we feel, the opening to life in this moments, is not different from what we find in spiritual questing or mystical practices.

The joy in both extraordinary and ordinary is found in the experience of connection, in the place where we receive the belonging that is ours. When we are where we are – and not lost in our minds – we can feel the joy fills us from the tips of our toes to the crown. Joy finds us when we feel the great happiness that comes when we know that we belong – to another, to ourselves, to the world, to the mystery that is larger than ourselves.

Sometimes we simply forget how to choose joy, and we focus on all the bad things in life. Instead of being grateful for the sun that shines another day, we complain about the fact that our hair is blowing in the wind. Focus on what you do have, what you can do and what another does. Instead of putting your focus on what you don’t have, what you cannot do and what the other lacks. Put your energy on the positive things.

Take joy in what you do well, feel blessed by your abilities and look for ways to share the gifts that you’ve been given. Find joy in doing things that you will never do well; don’t judge yourself for not being able to catch this wave, but be proud that you went into the water anyway. Don’t take yourself to serious, laugh at yourself. Take of the heaviness and blow in the simpleness.

Joy breeds dangerous hope and the potential for disappointment. We are scared to feel the joy, because we are afraid that it will disappear. Guess what? Life is always changing, sometimes happy, sometimes sad, sometimes joy, sometimes grief. And all of this is ok. There is no need to label it as good or bad, as these are just words to describe something we are experiencing.

We often expect too little joy in life and settle for less than our souls needs to flourish and bloom to it’s full potential.

To feel joy, trust the moment and welcome it in its fullness for what it is. Step into the moment and out of your mind.

Write down 3 things that made your heart smile today. Write down 3 things you are grateful for today. Write down 3 things you are proud of.